Treasure Hunting
by MoogleTerra
Summary: FF6  Terra is on a little vacation after the fall of Kefka, and Locke decided to take her treasure hunting. What will they find? What will they discover? Old friends are found and new adventures abound!
1. Bickering in the Forest

**Treasure Hunting**

**A/N: A little ficlet about treasure hunting I came up with for my creative writing class. I liked it so I thought I'd spread the love.**

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Thump.

"Ow, ow, ow! Godsdammit!" He clutched the back of his head tightly, hoping to high heavens he wasn't bleeding. He had a bath that morning for the first time in four days, so he didn't want to get his finally clean hair dirty again so quickly.

Locke looked back at the tree branch that he pushed out of the way a few seconds ago, that just smacked his skull. It acted all innocent, gently waving its leaves in the slow breeze. His shorter companion laughed into her hand, trying to muffle herself, though in vain.

"You could have just ducked ya know?" She said, calming down, face still blushing a little because she always blushes when she laughs.

"Yeah, yeah Terra. Not everybody's a midget like you."

"That was uncalled for! Meanie!" The mint haired girl huffed, stomping ahead through the undergrowth, her curls bouncing cutely.

"Aw, come back. You know I was just kidding!" Locke called after her, trying to catch up. He had been noticing all day how even though she was kinda clumsy, she was pretty nimble in forests. Must be the Esper in her, if that makes any sense.

"Let's just find your stupid cave, then I'm going back to Kohlingen." She snapped, her cerulean eyes glowing brighter than normal, taking on the look of fairy spring water with a bit of algae floating deep within the pool.

The thief led on through the forest, thinking that he should definitely watch his mouth today. Terra had been in a foul mood all day ever since his lech best friend King Edgar hit on her in the most embarrassing of ways. He told the thief that he merely forgot she was alone in their room in the Inn. That he just thought he could take advantage of the situation and ask the lady to go to dinner with him later that evening. The detail the king strategically left out was that he had just returned from his bath, and was naked except for a towel around his waist, not leaving much to the imagination.

Of course she got red faced, took on that dewy eyed look, and kept squeaking "No," at his advances. Edgar thought the girl was just being her usual shy self when in reality she hadn't been around men who liked to sleep in their boxers, let alone walk around with only towels in over a year, so of course she would act like that. A half naked Edgar was furthest from her mind when she was tending her children. The fall of Kefka makes a girl forget things like that ya know?

But of course the king thought she thought of him frequently, despite the kids.

Locke pondered all of this, loosing track of his place on the map, so when he returned to the present he found that he didn't recognize the area they were in now. According to his watch, they should have found the vine covered cave by now, but it looked like they passed it up entirely.

"Hey Terra?" He asked, folding his map up, and tucking in into his pants.

"Yeah?" She said, glancing back at him with calmer eyes than before.

"By any chance, do you know where we are?"

"Uh no. I haven't explored around here before much," Terra replied before leaning down to whisper something to a flower off the path. It was purple and had long, curling, healthy looking leaves, and seemed to let more of its scent loose after she finished whispering, as if it were happier.

"Well I kinda lost track of where we are exactly," Locke started scratching the back of his neck.

The mint haired girl straightened up slowly, and thought about that sentiment for a moment before just turning back to the path. He took two long legged steps before he caught up, and asked what she thought they should do.

"It looks like we continue looking for your cave since we made it out this far."

The thief's eye twitched a little, not expecting that answer at all. He expected her to be totally ticked off at him, but no. She seemed fine with it.

"What the hell..." He said to himself.

"Mmm?" She inquired, face complacent.

"Nothing."

Locke kept walking along the beaten path of dirt and grasses, thinking about how quickly a woman's mood can change, especially after the end of the world. His dear friend had gone from being a confused little girl who knew nothing of emotions to a slightly feisty woman who was still very gentle with those she loved. Basically, she's grown so much in over a year. They went along at a comfortable pace, her stopping here and there to whisper something kind to a flower, or to the grass, or to a tree. He decided to enjoy the fresh air of the ever spring/summer season of the Kohlingen area. The trees rustled with the wind, scattering pollen particles into the streaming down sunlight, giving the forest a magical glow. It made everything seem to pulse and throb with life, invigorating.

This was a good time and place for Terra to have her little holiday, or rather, vacation from Mobliz. She hated having to leave her children, especially Joanie who had started tying her shoes and had stopped sucking her thumb. But she had agreed that she needed time away from all of that for awhile, to visit with all her friends. Said lady was just now lifting her skirt so it wouldn't snag on a thorn bush. It was still odd to see Terra wearing a knee length skirt, but it worked for her.

The mint haired woman looked up and met Locke's gaze, and smiled. She took another step and suddenly the ground broke out from underneath her.

"AHHHH!" She disappeared with a cloud of dust and a thud sound. The thief stood frozen in pace for a few seconds, mind reeling at what had just happened, then he rushed over to the hole.

"Terra!" He shouted down, then listened for any signs of life. A string of curses sounded from the hole, some really creative ones too, but now was not the time to compliment the creativity and innovation of obscenities.

"Don't worry! I'll be down in a sec!" And started tying a rope to a nearby tree before hopping down the hole himself.

Light came down from the opening, but the cave was still dark and Locke had to squint to see anything beyond the treasure chest on the-

"HEY! Terra you found it!"

Terra was on her bottom, rubbing the back of her thighs wanting to ease the pain of the fall.

"Ouch...great." She said, reaching up to grab his pack to get a tonic out.

Locke, who landed like a cat on his feet, was huddled over a little box made of wood with a padlock keeping it shut. He started pulling out pins and various tools for picking locks as Terra drank the light green fluid slowly, feeling the effects ripple through her. One thing she really missed about her magic was not being able to cure herself when the need arose, but at least her hair remained that mint green color. Even though people stared, she liked it. It was different, and it reminded her of her heritage. Locke and Edgar told her the day before that her eyes still seemed to glow, despite the lack of magical power. It must be the lighting...

_Click..._

Her thief friend had the lock picked, and the rusty thing was then tossed across the cave.

"What's in it?" She asked, standing with a little shaking in her legs from the tonic.

"I'm about to find out." He replied, giddy as a school boy.

Terra leaned over his shoulder to look too. He opened the box slowly, and his face fell when he saw the contents.

"EMPTY?" What the hell man! Who does that? Putting a lock on an empty box! We came all the way out here for this? I lost all my cookie crumbs over this and everything!" Locke carried on, face turning pink with anger, and waving his hands around as he ranted.

Terra went a little ways away and started giggling. Even though there wasn't a treasure, she still loved going out treasure hunting with her friends.

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**This was a lot of fun to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Should I continue? Let me know!**


	2. Gathering in Kohlingen

**Treasure Hunting**

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: Due to the positive reviews, I thought I should expand this story a little~ **

After calming Locke down, Terra led him back to Kohlingen where a few of their friends were waiting. They went to the Inn where flowers were blooming purple and blue in the window boxes, and a few older gentlemen were outside chatting about crop rotation. Inside, Terra found Edgar at the bar sporting a large bruise on his left cheek, and nursing it with a tall glass of ale. Locke plopped down on a bar stool next to the king and ordered an ale for himself with a pout.

Relm was with them too, she had finished Owzer's painting commission of Starlet, and wanted to pursue some chalk drawings for her own wishes. She had taken over her own tea table and skewed all her art supplies around her, on the table and the floor. Papers were haphazardly stacked over an unlit candle. Pencils of all lengths were piled together on a plate that had some cookie crumbs, and pastels were strayed in a tea cup. The chalk sticks Relm had gathered over the years were currently next to her elbow. The bar tender did not mind Relm's mess apparently because she was making him something pretty to hang up in the tea area, to help liven up the place. The young artist was scribbling something on a piece of canvas propped up against her knee, while the other leg dangled over the side of the booth seat. The mint haired woman went over to the girl to peek over her shoulder and saw the brightest flowers gathered in a field with a stream going through and the sky the most vibrant blue. An airship was hanging in the sky, and looked just like the Falcon.

"That's gorgeous Relm!" Terra breathed, clapping her small hands together in delight. The girl looked up and beamed.

"Thanks Terra, I hope Mr. Dracois likes it too!" And set back to work. To many that may have seemed rude to proceed back to work without another word, but that's just how Relm was. She never meant anything by that; she was wanting to finish it quickly so she could work on her next piece. Terra turned away after watching Relm's hands work their magic over the canvas for a few moments more.

The mint headed woman really enjoyed this inn because it was so clean and had a happy aura. Small town's always had that feel to them. The tables were all scrubbed with polish every morning, the flowers were freshly picked that morning and put in various vases to add a sweet scent to the rooms. Right then the windows were open, letting the curtains flutter and a light breeze came in.

At the bar, Locke was telling Edgar about their wild goose chase with a scowl on his face.

"Can you believe that? EMPTY!" He cried, waving his ale around in despair. The bar keep was keeping a wary eye on Locke in case he spilled his drink somewhere.

The thief stood abruptly and poked Edgar's bruised cheek, making the king cringe at the sharp pain.

"But fear not my friend, there are many more treasures to be found! I have them all written down on the back of my map. There's another one in the area. It's called the Shiva Plume. After the esper Shiva."

"Duh," thought Edgar mildly.

"How do you know about it Locke?" Terra asked, always curious about esper related subjects.

"Arcell told me about it. Remember him? He's staying in South Figaro right now with a few other ex-Returners."

"Oh really? We should visit them sometime! I wonder how Sasha and Henley are doing." Terra said thoughtfully, smiling at the memory of seeing them when she first went to the Returner's hideout a few years before.

"I think I remember them. Isn't Sasha that chick with the green eyes and was being sarcastic all the time?" Relm piped up, looking from over the top of her canvas.

"Yeah she is. She's been dating Henley off and on for years now. They only split because he's immature and she has a quick temper. They do love each other though." Edgar chimed in, amused at the conversation switch.

"What exactly are they doing now that the Empire and Kefka have fallen?" Relm asked, chewing a pencil.

"I think they're working to save up for an Inn of some kind actually. A replica of the old Returner hideout from what Henley told me," Locke explained.

"Perhaps Figaro can help them build. It sounds like a fine idea." Edgar adjusted his ponytail ribbon.

"A lot of people would visit I bet! The Returners are famous nowadays, and people would be interested in all the stories they have to tell."

"And who made them famous? _Us!_" Relm said with pride, causing Edgar to give her a flawless smile that only a king could give. He loved the girl's spunk.

Terra blushed at Relm's comment, but deep down knew that she was right. Everybody who lived through the cataclysm knew who they were. They all wanted to know what happened and wanted to hear their stories when they found out who they were.

Like the bar keep here, he got the story from Sabin after the fall of Kefka when he was passing through to visit Locke. And the children in Mobliz, they loved hearing Terra's story all the time because there was so much to tell, so she would break the story up into different parts. Celes thought Terra should write a fairy tale book just like the ones they would read when they were little in the Imperial Palace. Children all over would love them! Terra had asked why her, and Celes explained that Terra had a way of spinning a tale as if it were wool about to be spun into thread at a spindle. The more Terra wove and twisted the story into existence, the more beautiful it became. That made Terra drop a dish she had been drying back in her kitchen in Mobliz. Such a wonderful way to weave her words! After that Terra said Celes should do it! The ex-general declined, saying that she was far to busy with paperwork in South Figaro and Narshe to bother. Plus she said she never got into creative writing because she couldn't make plot twists in her stories when she tried. The blond thought that Terra should be the one to write the story, she could make it into something dramatic and lovely. And to add to her reasons, she said that a lot of what happened all went back to Terra in the first place.

It was Terra that people fought to protect. It was Terra who lost her memories and had to fight with herself for so long for them to return in full.

It was Terra who was kidnapped from her parents when she was a baby to become a biological weapon for Emperor Gestahl. All of this stemmed from that man's greed and thirst for power to rip the world apart. And this mint haired woman was caught at the center of the plot.

Perhaps she would write the story one day, for everybody to read. Maybe Edgar could get it published for her...

"He-ey! Terra?" Locke waved his gloved hand in front of her nose, and had been trying to get her attention for the past few minutes.

"Oh, yes?" Her mind torn away from her thoughts of being a novelist.

"Are you coming with us to find the relic? Or do you want to stay here for the remaining day?" The thief asked, wondering what she had been thinking so intensely about.

"I think I'll stay here, it would be nice to enjoy some tea and cookies." She replied, eyes bright with excitement. She hoped she could find a book of blank paper in town to start work on the storybook.

"Alrighty then, we're off then! See you sometime tonight." Edgar held the door open for his friend, and they left to go rough it in the forest.

After Relm had finished her picture, and retired to her's and Terra's room for some reading, the mint haired lady went to the general store in search of a book. She bought one for thirty gil, with a blue hard cover and hundreds of blank pages. She hugged her new friend tight against her chest as she walked along the dirt path back to the pub. Ideas bubbled in her mind for the story. She already had a starter sentence thought up, and a title.


	3. Where To Start

**Treasure Hunting**

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: This story is unraveling so well! And to think it started with a silly Creative Writing assignment! Oh, and I graduated high school guys! Yay! More time for fan fiction writing! Anyways, on with the show.**

"_Once upon a time..."_

"No, that won't work."

"_A long time ago, there was..."_

"No, that doesn't sound right either."

"_There once was a girl from the Esper realm..."_

"Ah! That doesn't go well either! Why is this so difficult?" Terra set her pencil down and leaned back in her chair. Her favorite scented candles were not doing their job that night; she was not relaxed at all! She sighed. Letting her head lull back over the wooden chair, and closed her eyes. The heady aroma of apple blossoms had filled the room, and mixed with the vanilla smoke from her candles she bought in town. So far, nothing was working to help her start the Returner's storybook. Terra wanted it to sound like a fairy tale, with magic, monsters, Espers, and the bad guys getting in the way and making life miserable.

But the mage realized that would be quite challenging if she did not even know where to begin. She thought perhaps to start with her awakening in Arvis's home in Narshe, and go from there with remembering things, but that could get confusing. She thought to start with Emperor Gestahl pilfering her away from her home, and using her as a weapon, but there would still be a lot to explain all at once.

"Do all writers have these problems?" She asked herself, voice muted, seeming to intermingle with the light smokey haze. She at least had a title down.

"_Treasure Hunting."_

Terra thought that title would look splendid printed on the cover of a book, but she had not thought of a reason why she fancied it other than that.

She stood up, pushed her chair back into place, and roamed over to the open window. Kohlingen was a very beautiful town at nighttime because of all the large oak, maple, and dogwood trees towering above. They seemed to create tunnels of leaves and branches over the roads and abodes. At night, the stars twinkled brilliantly between the branches, looking like little jewels or droplets of water.

A loud crash came from the pub, disturbing the tranquil air, followed by a well-known yelp. Locke bounded out of the building, shouting obscenities with Edgar trailing behind with a water-bucket.

"Hold still! Hold still!" The king exclaimed, and tossed the water onto the thief. Now drenched, Locke started laughing like mad, but grasped his lap.

_Odd._

Terra, slightly put off by this exhibit, waved a hand to Edgar, hoping to get a response.

"Edgar? Come here please," She said raising her voice so they could hear. The monarch saw her after a moment, and staggered over to the lady as if she were some high priestess. His eyes had a certain glint to them, and his mouth was turned up in a grin.

"Yesss, m'lady?" He purred, trying to get his voice to drip seductively; a technique he tries with beautiful ladies. Terra had not heard him speak to her like that in ages, mostly because of her disinterest.

"What in the heavens just happened? Why did you throw water on Locke like that?" She asked, trying to disregard his sappy looking eyebrow movements.

The king grinned broader, and responded, "He spilled some of his hot cider on his lap, knocked over a pedestrian and a bar stool, then ran outside. I, thankfully, threw water on him to cool the burn so to speak."

"Oh, I see. What sort of cider are they selling tonight, Edgar?" Terra raised her nose, trying to sniff out a specific scent on the king's breath.

"The loveliest kind my dear! It makes you perk right up!" And with that, he bowed, barely missing the window-ledge with his forehead, and quote "Skedaddled" back to the pub, dragging Locke behind him.

"Oh those two!" The mint-haired lady huffed, crossing her arms.

"I thought they were supposed to be out looking for that silly Shiva's Plume." Another sigh left her pink lips, her face felt a little warm after Edgar speaking to her like that. He always did have a tone that made her blush, that bedroom tone as Setzer called it. The small mage ruffled her hair in dismay, before blowing out her candles and flopping on to her bed with a _"Wumph!"_ of the feather blankets. She curled up, making a cocoon of comforters and sheets before burrowing her face into the chocobo feather pillows and falling into a dreamless sleep.

The rest of the night was quiet, except for laughter from the pub, and Terra did not even wake up when Relm stomped in after having an encounter with the honey-dripping king. The little artist kicked off her slippers and made her own nest of blankets, with grumbling curses thrown in.

The next morning at breakfast, Edgar and Locke came in and requested several glasses of water for their headaches before sitting down in the red cushioned booth where Terra and Relm were seated. The waitress that morning was a girl of about fifteen, and eyed Terra oddly when she brought the men's water pitcher and two glasses on a tray. The mage had learned to ignore people's stares, and continued to nibble her toast with strawberry jam without noticing a thing.

The thief poured himself a glass and drank greedily while clutching his pounding temples.

"Ya know, they have special herbs for hangovers," Relm smiling into a big buttered roll, "Setzer kept a whole cabinet full of them on the Blackjack."

"Well young lady, I find that a few good glasses of water clears up my vexations. I've tried those herbs before and they never worked for me," Edgar replied eloquently.

"Just sayin'," Relm munched, scattering a few bread crumbs on the table.

"So Terra, what'd you do last night while we were gone?" Locke asked between gulps.

The mage glanced up from her hands, which were busy smearing jam onto another slice of toast.

"Oh, um," She sat down the knife carefully, "I was thinking about working on a book. A storybook about the Returners. I tried writing last night, but I didn't know where to start."

"That's a wonderful idea Terra!" Relm chirped. Edgar smiled at the mage from behind his water glass.

"I have an notion where you could start Terra," The king said, catching her gaze softly.

"Where?"

"I think we all need to take a trip to South Figaro. There are some old friends who could help add to the story."

"You mean Arcell, Henley, and Sasha right?" Locke asked with an elbow on the table.

"Yes my friends! I think it will be a good opportunity to catch up, and maybe listening to their stories will help Terra with her writing."

"Good idea man! Let's get Setzer to come by and pick us up."

"Nah, I wanna travel the plains and go through Figaro. That airship is so stuffy," Relm interrupted, still chewing on her breakfast roll.

"I agree with Relm actually, it's been awhile since we've journeyed on foot. I used to love wandering the tall grasses with you guys," Terra said, smiling at the memories of whispering to the plants.

"Yeah! I never even really _got_ to travel like that because of that silly airship. Wandering by myself after the cataclysm doesn't count though," Relm smiled up at Terra as she was speaking.

Locke clapped his hands together, emitting dust from his old gloves, "Alright it's settled! We're going to South Figaro!"

Several hours later, Terra was packing a chocobo with their bags in front of the Inn while Edgar and Relm were buying provisions. Locke went to his old house, dragging a large trunk behind him so he could drop it off and travel lighter. It seemed that he had forgotten all about his Shiva Plume in all the excitement.

After the mage fastened the last buckle to secure Relm's art hoard, the thief ran up with a single leather travel bag with keys jingling off his shoulders.

"Hey Terra! So you said the title was _"Treasure Hunting"_ right? Well I thought of the neatest reason why! It's because we're going to collect the Returner's stories, searching for the histories right? Then that means that the stories are treasures!"

A smile spread across Terra's face. Locke was right, they were going treasure hunting for some of the most precious tales, which were more valuable than any gem.


	4. To Figaro We Go

**Treasure Hunting**

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: Dance with me! I'm updating my stories! Oh yeah, be sure to check my profile for updates~ **

The sky above was tricking the travelers into thinking that rain was just a moment away, what with its graphite swelling clouds, and the wind picking up, turning the leaves on the trees over so the lighter, silvery sides showed. The self-proclaimed Treasure Hunter of the group told his friends that the wind turning the leaves upside down was an old way of being able to tell that rain was coming. His grandmother told him so, and so far, most of her stories were true. The youngest of the party, a girl of about twelve, chirped that she had heard that saying as well from her Gramps. The woman of the company, with the oddest natural hair color anybody had ever seen, smiled and said that the flowers would enjoy some rain; they were thirsty. The blond man in their band chuckled, having remembered something similar the lady had said in the past. Their noble, yet feathery steed, added a "Wark!" to the conversation as it trotted along, carrying their luggage.

The mint haired maiden, as the king so jokingly called her, put her pale hands against her legs as the wind picked up from behind, blowing her skirts up with a ruffle and a flounce. The young adolescent clung to her little black cape as it tried to fly forwards in a somewhat bothersome fashion. The fluffy yellow chocobo twittered a little when her feathers fluttered suddenly.

"Hey Eddy?" Relm asked, coming up with the nickname just that moment, and wondered why nobody had bothered to call him that before.

The monarch twitched, having hoped that the silly nickname had died when he turned seven, "Yes, my dear?" He strained a smile, gritting his teeth.

"So we're going through Figaro castle, then to South Figaro, right?" She narrowed her azure eyes, her artist's eye catching the clenched teeth, the tense jaw line.

"Yes we are, but worry not. We shall not tarry long in my palace," Praying to whatever was left in the skies above that she would not take a liking to that embarrassing moniker.

"Okay. So, what's with your face?"

"Eh? What about my face?" Edgar's eyebrows rose, thinking that there may have been a stray insect or caterpillar crawling around without his notice. That had happened many times during their previous travels, and it had always gave him the willies. He stroked his cheeks briefly, fingers scanning for the little bugger.

"Why did you go all tense when I called you 'Eddy?'" Relm almost tripped on a stone in the path, but caught herself before falling flat on her nose.

Locke started sniggering into his gloves, having heard from Sabin about the disdain the king had for that name.

Terra continued walking along, listening in to the conversation, but acting as if it did not interest her in the slightest for the fun of it.

"Well, you see, my grandfather called me that. I always found the nickname to be unpleasant. I thought that if I were to be a ruler, I could not have such a common and quite unoriginal nickname."

Locke interrupted, pointing ahead,"Hey look guys, the start of the desert! Come on!" The thief took off running into the sand dunes, not even slipping over sideways into one of the dusty mounds.

Relm, being a small bundle of never ending energy, shouted, "RACE!" and bolted after, leaving Edgar and Terra behind with Chi, the chocobo who stared after them, scratching her claws into the dirt.

"I need to stay with Chi," Terra said simply, smiling at the enormous bird. Edgar resolved to remain with the sea-foam haired woman, deeming it improper to leave a lady by herself in a desert.

The clouds still hung low in the sky, spreading and bleeding into one another like ink, yet through several breaks, the sun blistered down on the pair. The storm clouds looked menacing, making Terra wish they would reach the castle before the rains started pouring down.

After a forty minute walk through the sands, they finally reached Figaro castle, first spotting the guards riding chocobos like Chi. Edgar waved, yelling greetings, while Terra gladly let Chi be taken by one of the guards into the stable during their short stay.

The king and lady were swept inside the grand doors to be received by the Chancellor and, of course, Locke and Relm who had already reached the palace twenty moments ahead of them. The Chancellor bowed deeply and humbly, "King Edgar, welcome back! We were waiting patiently for you and Lady Terra to arrive so we could begin the submersion process," He straightened back up, and waved them through the entrance way and to the dining hall.

"While you are here, why not dine? You must be hungry from the slow traveling from Kohlingen!"

They all agreed enthusiastically, Relm bouncing on the balls of her little black slippers, and Locke slipping into a seat at the table grinning.

Numerous dishes were brought out from the kitchens, there were chickens, hams, pot roasts, large loaves of fresh breads, tureens of soups, dishes of rice, vegetables, fried potatoes with peppers and onion. Many of the foods Terra had been trying to recreate for her children in Mobliz. She remembered Deren, a boy of about nine, really loved her roasted chickens with potatoes. The mint haired woman took note of the spice that was prominent in the chicken she was just then chewing.

"_Paprika...with pepper, and...curry?"_ Either way it was delicious and Terra got a few more slices on to her plate.

Locke, meanwhile, was tearing into his piece of roast pork while smashing his potatoes and snap peas into a pile of chaos. He must have been ravenous to be eating so vigorously. Yet, he always ate like that, so there really was not much of a difference in when he's very hungry and when he was satiated.

A new guard that the captain hired the week prior stood in his alcove watching the thief with disgust and shock. Relm looked up as he was making a very disturbing face and giggled into her carrots, her mouth stuffed, making her laughter muffled.

A blaring vibration shook the dining area, sending Locke toppling out of his chair and a few wine glasses over on to the tablecloth. Edgar was amazed at how uncoordinated his friend could be at times, and merely held his glass up steadily, being used to the submersion mechanisms. Terra grabbed her water glass just as it threatened to fall, but Relm missed hers, spilling fruit juice all over a yeast roll she was about to eat.

It was a very obscure sensation to feel oneself submerge underground while eating a meal. Everything shook, Locke could never keep his balance, Terra held on to the table that had been bolted down to the stone floors just like everything else in the palace that could be damaged. The process took a total of two hours before it resurfaced in the Figaroan desert on the next continent.

During that time, Relm and Terra read stories to each other in the library, and Locke stayed in a bedroom slung over a bucket because of his queasy stomach.

Edgar went to his throne room to reminisce, sapphire eyes shining with memories. It had been a few weeks since he had returned to his kingdom, and missed it terribly. But in his heart he loved traveling the forests and plains and mountains with his friends, because he knew that someday, he would have to stay in Figaro, for a kingdom needed its king to govern it always. The monarch could not keep sending letters back and forth with his chancellor, because problems would arise soon enough.

A kingdom needed the attentions of its king, even if the aristocratic life was very demanding. Even though it was easier to travel, to have fun, to enjoy life and nature, responsibilities called.

And Edgar needed to heed that call soon enough.

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A/N: A short chapter yes, but a fun one at that. South Figaro is next, along with meeting their old friends from the Returners! Thanks for reading!


	5. Traveling

**Treasure Hunting**

**Chapter 5**

"It's hot."

"Yes, I know."

"It's hot."

"Mmhmm."

"I'm burning up!"

"YES! WE KNOW!"

"I was just sayin'!"

"Relm, please, look, we're almost at the end of the desert."

"That doesn't change the fact that it's hotter than Ifrit's inferno out here! Gods damn."

The troupe had left Figaro castle as soon as Locke woke up from his nausea induced sleep, and almost immediately, Relm started bothering the thief for the fun of it. Her reasoning was that since they had to cross a desert which had blistering heat and annoying sand dunes, time would fly by quicker if she had a little fun. At least, that's what it started out as anyways. Locke, being easily irritated, took the bait, and was ready to tie a bandana around her face to make her be quiet by the time the bickering had ended.

Terra smiled meekly, knowing what the girl was doing because of her experience with the orphans in Mobliz, remained sure and patient. She led the chocobo along ahead of the group with a bit of rope, taking her time to enjoy the warmth that the sun showered down from the heavens. Terra's element was always fire, warmth, heat, and had always enjoyed sunlight the most out of her friends. It seemed to recharge her energy, filling her veins with fire, fueling her magic. Despite not having magic anymore, she still felt the replenishing quality from the glowering star.

"Look, guys," She pointed at the South Figaroan mountain range cropping up on the horizon, "We're almost to the caves."

"Good, is that spring still inside? I could use some water..." Relm said, looking at her empty water bottle that she had drained at the beginning of their trek through the sands.

"Yes it is still there, but you really should learn to only drink water when you really need it darling," Edgar smiled royally down at her.

"It's one of the things that travelers learn early on, because when traveling, you never know when you will find fresh water again," He continued, happy to have some wisdom to share with their youngest companion.

"Well, I'm learning it early on already," She sighed, remembering her grandfather giving her a similar speech.

Locke chuckled, taking a sip from his own bottle he had clipped to his belt. The girl shot him a quick glare before going ahead to walk with Terra.

As the company drew nearer the mountains, the sun sunk lower and lower, starting to give way to the evening. With their stomachs still full from their meal in Figaro, they did not tarry long in the caves, only pausing long enough to refill their water containers and feed Chi some greens.

Normally, chocobos hated traveling in caverns, but with some coaxing, Terra and Relm had managed to get Chi to follow them into the caves. They needed her because their travel bags would slow them down considerably, and Edgar hoped that they would reach South Figaro before sundown, when the remaining monsters came out to prowl.

The king led them through the caverns, knowing the way from his time with the bandits after the world got a makeover.

Candles still burned in dishes and candle holders suspended in the rock walls, torches remained ablaze, allowing the group to see properly in the dimness. Terra wondered to herself who kept the flames going, whether it was citizens of South Figaro, or travelers like themselves. Around several bends, downward slopes, and a small bridge, they finally reached the exit.

Outside, dusk had already reached their hemisphere, stars had started winking in the skies, the moon had shown its pale face from behind the trees.

Thanks to the new geography of the world, South Figaro was now only a short fifteen minute walk from the caves.

Gas lamps were being lit for the evening by the city maintenance, and pubs were opening their doors for the evening crowds. Locke tried remembering which inn their friends were staying at, and when he came up blank, Edgar rubbed his temple and suggested they check every inn they came across. The Rhodox Place, Leafer Lodge, and Carna's Inn did not have their old Returner friends staying there, so the last place to check was the priciest place in town: The Royal Figaro Inn.

Now, they all knew that particular inn was extravagant, from the room service to the quality of their soaps. Terra loved their soaps because her skin was rather sensitive, and cheaper soaps made her break out in itchy rashes much to her horror.

Back during their days as Returners, Edgar, Locke, and Terra stayed there a total of four times. Relm had only heard about it from one person or another. Its prices were hundreds and sometimes thousands of gil above the other competitors depending on the markets. Though, whenever Edgar stayed there, the staff instantly recognized him from the large, showy portrait of the crowned king from behind the desk, and allowed him and his party to stay free of charge in their best rooms.

Locke had walked inside the entryway first, earning a pretentious sneer from the desk clerk. Terra and Relm followed the thief in, with Edgar at the back of the group, who smiled as he strode in.

"Yo, could you tell me if a man by the name of Arcell is staying here?" Locke asked in his smoothest voice.

"I certainly cannot give out information on my guests to street urchins like yourself," The clerk said in a smug, slightly fake sounding accent, as if he were trying to copy the accent of Jidoor.

"Well, I do not see a reason why not, he is merely looking for a group of friends," Edgar came up to the desk then, flashing his pearly white teeth, classic smile, and the mandatory eyebrow cock, as was always portrayed in his portraits. The desk clerk's eyes widened at realizing who was standing before him now.

"You're-you're-" He stammered, pulling on his cravat as if he was having trouble breathing properly.

"The king of Figaro?" Relm offered from the monarch's side, just barely able to put her elbows on the desktop.

"YES THAT!" He cried, sweat now beading on his brow.

"Could you kindly answer my friend's question? Is a party under the name Arcell staying here?" Edgar inquired coolly, grinning at yet again successfully causing another member of the Inn's staff to wig out.

"Yes, your highness!" He stuttered, ripping open the log book.

After a moment, he snapped it shut, and said,"Yes, indeed they are staying here. In room three-one-four, party of three."

"Thank you, we would like a room or two on the same floor."

"Yes right away!"

With Chi safely tucked inside the stables with fresh hay and greens to munch on, their luggage carried up to their rooms by the servant boys, and a fresh pot of orange tea with scones on their tea table, the party could finally relax a little before surprising their friends with their arrival.

"It was really neat what you did Edgar!" Relm chirped as she bit into a chocolate cookie.

"My word, Relm! Are you paying me a compliment? Oh happy day!" Edgar cried, setting his tea cup down with a flourish.

"Oh dear, does Relm know what she just did?" Terra whispered to Locke on the divan, "She should know by now that Edgar has a soft spot for her!"

Locke whispered back, "I know! It's borderline creepy! I bet he was halfway serious when he mentioned being interested in her when she got older."

"AH! You freak! Get off me!" Relm squealed from her armchair. Edgar had tried picking her up to give her an over dramatic hug with a twirl included.

"But you complimented me my dear girl! You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear a lovely blond girl give me praise!" And with that, the king once again tried cuddling the girl, only to be smacked several times across the face and screamed at.

Relm hopped out of her chair and ran to her bed in the next adjoining room, locking the door behind her, and yelling curses as she went.

Edgar laughed, going after her with his arms wide open, "But you know we are meant to be!"

An unintelligible swear word issued from the room, and sent the monarch into stitches of laughter.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were serious, man." Locke said, wiping his eyes due to the tears that laughing produced.

"It's all in good fun, my good Locke-y-Boy!" He chuckled, finally sitting back down at his place.

Terra giggled throughout the merriment, savoring and cherishing her time with her friends before sleep took over them all.


End file.
